Planning for 2025 and Beyond

In October 2024, the Beyond 2025 Steering Committee finalized a report that outlined the next steps for meeting the goals and outcomes of the current Watershed Agreement, how best to address and integrate new science and restoration strategies, and plan for the future of the partnership. At a high level, the Beyond 2025 Report made the following recommendations:

• The Chesapeake Executive Council should affirm its continued commitment to meeting the goals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and direct the Principals’ Staff Committee to propose the necessary amendments to effectively implement the Watershed Agreement.
• The Chesapeake Bay Program should be strengthened by identifying ways to simplify and streamline the partnership’s structure and processes, including potential changes to the partnership’s Governance and Management Framework to ensure that commitments can be met.

The report also identified several additional recommendations for improving the Chesapeake Bay Program's efforts in the areas of science, conservation and restoration, and partnership.

Final Beyond 2025 Report‍‍

The Beyond 2025 Report was drafted by the Beyond 2025 Steering Committee, which consisted of representatives from each of the six watershed states (Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia), the District of Columbia, the federal agencies participating in the Chesapeake Bay Program, Goal Implementation Teams, advisory committees and non-profit organizations. The report’s recommendations were informed by an independent evaluation of the partnership conducted by an outside contractor and a series of proposals developed by five groups of subject matter experts representing critical topic areas: Clean Water, Climate Change, Healthy Watersheds, People and Shallow Water Habitats.

Beyond 2025 Evaluation Report (Eastern Research Group)‍‍‍

Beyond 2025 Small Group Findings and Considerations‍‍‍

A draft of the Beyond 2025 Report was open to public comment from July 1, 2024 through August 30, 2024. The report received 87 unique comments along with several letters signed by over a thousand people. These comments and a redlined, edited version of the report based on the comments have been published.

Beyond 2025 Report Comments‍‍‍

Redlined Beyond 2025 Report‍‍‍

In December 2024, the Chesapeake Executive Council charged the Principals’ Staff Committee with revising the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by December 31, 2025. Additionally, the Principals’ Staff Committee was charged with developing a simplified and streamlined structure and process for the partnership. The Principals’ Staff Committee and Management Board have developed a timeline for executing Beyond 2025: Phase 2 activities. Recommendations for the updated structure and process will be developed by December 1, 2025, and incorporated into the Chesapeake Bay Program’s governance framework by June 2026. 

Chesapeake Executive Council Charge to the PSC: Charting a Course Beyond 2025‍‍

PSC Process for Implementing the Charge to Chart a Course Beyond 2025‍‍

To inform revisions to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the Chesapeake Bay Program modified its Strategy Review System (SRS): During the second year of the 2024-2025 SRS Cycle, Goal Implementation Teams (GITs) and Workgroups replaced the standard SRS documentation with information that helped the Management Board determine the preferred disposition of each Watershed Agreement Outcome (i.e., whether to consolidate, update, remove, replace, or reclassify the Outcome). GITs and Management Board members were also given the opportunity to propose novel outcomes. An Outcome review meeting framework and decision-making process was developed, and modified Outcome review documents were discussed at three Management Board meetings: 

• February 13, 2025, Management Board Meeting
• February 27, 2025,  Management Board Meeting
• March 13, 2025, Management Board Meeting

On March 27, 2025, the Management Board reached consensus on the disposition of all 31 existing Outcomes, with recommendations and discussion summaries presented to the Principals' Staff Committee on March 28, 2025. Novel Outcome dispositions were determined at the April 10, 2025, Management Board Meeting. In total, 21 Outcomes were advanced for development.

Using provided guidance and templates for developing Outcome language, GITs and Workgroups presented draft language for all 21 proposed Outcomes at the May 7 and May 8, 2025, Management Board Meeting. Recommended Outcome language was presented at the May 23, 2025, Principals' Staff Committee Meeting. Through these meetings, consensus was achieved around releasing proposed language for public feedback.

The Enhancing Partnering, Leadership and Management Goal Implementation Team (GIT 6) is coordinating the process that will develop recommendations for a simplified and streamlined structure and process for the partnership. 

• During the March 28, 2025, Principals' Staff Committee Meeting, GIT 6 delivered a presentation titled Achieving the 2024 EC Charge: Governance, Structure and Process‍. The GIT defined key priorities for enhancing the Chesapeake Bay Program's structure, governance and processes, and the Management Board approved the GIT's proposal to collect best practices for meeting operations, review regional partnership programs and identify skillsets and resources needed to draft and execute a scope of work.
• During the June 27, 2025, Principals' Staff Committee Meeting, GIT 6 delivered a proposed path forward that incorporated Management Board feedback. Through this approach, the Management Board will lead efforts to address the partnership's organizational structure, while a small, non-decisional group composed of signatory representatives, federal agencies, an NGO and Advisory Committee representatives will develop recommendations on accountability and governance for Management Board and Principals' Staff Committee review, consideration and approval.